A Proper Shire Party
by Agent Frostbite
Summary: Once Erebor is back in order – and after a little persuasion from Balin, Fili, Kili, and Dis – Thorin Oakenshield follows Bella Baggins' path back to the Shire to apologize for what he did at the Gate and tell her his feelings. The only problem? She's somewhere in the middle of a party, and the whole Shire has turned up for it. Post-BOTFA, AU fix-it, Fem!Bilbo
1. Searching for Their Hobbit

**A/N: I CAN EXPLAIN.**

 **Okay, so my muse** _ **really**_ **seems to like taking vacations to who-knows-where for days on end. I have sit in front of writing prompts, unfinished works, and blank pages. Nothing. And then,** _ **bam**_ **! I get hit broadside by the Hobbit fandom. I was sure that it would be the stepping stone from writer's block to everything I'm supposed to be. (Then again, supposed to be is a loose term…) I was about out of it to, and then…**

 **Fem!Bilbo hit me like a runaway train.**

 **And then Fem!Bilbo/Thorin slammed into me. And took over my life. So…yeah. And school has been a pain in the tail, and a whole lot harder than it was supposed to be, so I've been swamped, distracted, and overwhelmed. But, at the begging of a friend of mine, I'm posting this cause she said it was good, and is considerably lacking in the Fem!Bilbo department. I take it upon myself to fix this (at least partially). Lemme know what y'all think!**

Thorin Oakenshield didn't expect to find himself in the Shire ever again. Then again, there were a lot of things he hadn't expected concerning the Quest for Erebor, chief among them being falling in love with the burglar Gandalf had picked for them. No, he hadn't expected to fall so completely for Mariabella Baggins. Nor had he expected the dragon-sickness that took ahold of him. Long story short, he had a _lot_ of apologizing to do, as well as a few confessions.

It had taken Balin, Fili, Kili, _and_ Dis to convince him to just man up and go say something – despite his reservations about her demeanor toward him (because, whether he admitted it or not, he couldn't take seeing such heartbreak in the Hobbit-lass's eyes again). But he'd done it, so there he was.

With, somehow, the whole of the original Company backing him up. Or keeping him from losing his nerve, one or the other.

He figured it would be easy. Walk to her house, ring the doorbell, somehow convince her to let him in, and pour out his heart. Well, in hindsight, that hardly sounded easy, but he was here, so no turning back now. He'd not marched for months just walk away without a definite answer.

He wasn't counting on the party.

The whole _Shire_ was there. He would swear on the Green Throne of Erebor that every single bleeding Hobbit in the land turned up for the party. And Bella was probably somewhere in that mess.

(He couldn't see Bag End from where they were on top of the hill, but there wasn't a single light on in any house, except for two or three near the field, but those were clearly for kitchens and ale.)

"Oh," Bofur said. Thorin let out a small, long-suffering sigh. 'Oh' didn't even _begin_ to cover it. "Well, then." They spied the sign for why there was a party. '3rd Shire Return Reunion'. "Guess it's for Bella. She'll definitely be in there, then."

"How are we gonna find her in this mess?" Dwalin growled. Thorin noticed a couple of the Company looking out across the field, not for Bella, but at the celebrations.

"You have come this far with me; I would not ask you to go further," Thorin said. He turned back to them. They looked back at him, and he gave them a faint smile. "Go enjoy yourselves."

That was all Bombur, Glóin, and Nori needed. Dori followed Ori - probably to make sure he was safe and didn't get lost, like he always did. Dwalin gave him a firm pat on the shoulder, and then followed the group to make sure they didn't cause too much trouble. The rest of the group dispersed.

"We're staying with you, Uncle," Fili said. He turned to look at his nephews. Kili nodded, and Thorin gave them a warm smile. "Right! Up the tree with you, Kee," Fili addressed his brother, who nodded and started climbing the big, thick oak that they were standing next to. Thorin watched him ascend the branches with a bit of confusion and amusement.

Once Kili got to a height suitable enough to see well into the crowd, he began to search. Thorin could tell he'd found something, because Kili's jaw went slightly slack. "Um...you know the really good fiddler?"

"Aye?" Fili said.

"Well, that's Bella!" he exclaimed. "I can see her from here; she's in the center. And I can see Bofur from up here, too; how'd get that close to the center so fast?"

"Does it matter?" Fili asked. "You know where we're going?"

"Yes, but I think they're gonna start another song soon, so you better hurry," he replied. No sooner had he said that, the music stopped, and the Shire field filled with a cheer. Fili started to walk off, and Thorin followed him into the crowd. "Wait!" Kili exclaimed. "There's some commotion near the cent- Oh, my." He burst into laughter.

"Kili..." Fili said, impatience twinging his tone. Thorin was starting to get impatient too.

"She's just been led up onto the table! I think they want her to play the next song!" Kili informed. And sure, enough, there were a few notes played on a fiddle, and the party shouted with joy.

Then the singing started.

 _This just got a whole lot harder._

 **A/N: Musical setting: Flaming Red Hair (Bilbo's Party Music from FoTR)**


	2. Fighting The Crowd

_There's an inn of old renown  
Where they brew a beer so brown  
Moon came rolling down the hill  
One Hevensday to drink his fill._

The crowd had become completely unmanageable at this point. Hobbits were whirling around, dancing and jumping, following some dance Thorin didn't know and didn't care to try understanding. All he knew was that they were in the way.

Fili had, somewhere along the line, become very good at cutting through crowds. He also noted that the brothers had some kind of hand signal system to communicate. Kili would relay which way to go next and – if the variation of the signals was any indication – how to move through the crowd easiest.

 _On a three-stringed fiddle there  
Played the Ostler's cat so fair  
The horn-ed Cow that night was seen  
To dance a jig upon the green_

Any Hobbits not dancing were at tables eating and drinking, but that didn't stop a few from randomly joining the dance, or trying to dance while staying put. Luckily, the tables they ran across were few and far between; most were at the center of the party. Which was where Bella was.

 _Called by the fiddle to the  
Middle of the muddle where the  
Cow with the caper sent the  
Small dog squealing.  
Moon in a fuddle went to  
Huddle by the griddle but he  
Slipped in a puddle and the  
World went reeling_

By far, his greatest source of frustration wasn't Bella's location, or the roving dancing lines and groups, or even the party itself. It was how many women saw him as an open partner and tried to dance with him. He'd lost count of how many Hobbits he'd had to turn down for a dance.

Still, they were all pretty good dancers, even if half of them were, in some form or another, intoxicated. And the lyrics were far too fast for him, but the Hobbits seemed to have a good handle on it.

 _Downsides went up - hey!  
Outsides went wide.  
As the fiddle  
Played a twiddle  
And the Moon slept till Sterrenday.  
_

 _Upsides went west - hey!  
Broadsides went boom.  
With a twiddle on the fiddle  
In the middle by the griddle  
And the Moon slept till Sterrenday._

Following the first chorus was a noticeable lack of lyrics. "Bella!" he called. No call came after that, so he assumed she didn't hear him. That was entirely possible, because he was shocked at how much noise there really was when he found his bellow was considerably quieter than he expected. And he was truly bellowing.

Not good news for him.

 _Dish from off the dresser pranced  
Found a spoon and gaily danced  
Horses neighed and champed their bits  
For the bloodshot Moon had lost his wits._

As had, in his opinion, much of the Shire. He would've called it madness, but they were all mostly lucid. He'd have called it craziness, but it was too organized. Granted, it was only pockets, groups, and single people who were dancing, and it was the fact that it was many groups all dancing to the same tune that accounted for the discord.

He wrenched his mind back, and realized he'd almost lost sight of Fili, who was several feet ahead of him. He could only tell because Fili was a bit taller than the Hobbits, and no-one here had hair quite the same color of gold.

He and his brother were still exchanging looks and signals. Fili gave his brother a particularly frustrated one, and Thorin could tell why. Weren't they there yet? Somewhat close? He could hear the fiddle much better than earlier, so there _was_ progress, however small.

 _Well, Cow jumped over, Dog barked wild  
The Moon lay prone and sweetly smiled  
Ostler cried "Play faster, Cat!  
"Because we all want to dance like that!"_

Oh, they were closer now, because he could Bella singing the last couple lines at the top of her lungs. There was another man shouting it with her, but his loudest line was the former one. He wondered if her nickname was 'Cat.' Didn't make sense, though.

(He decidedly ignored the rather large twinge of jealousy and the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.)

 _Gambol and totter till you're  
Hotter than a hatter and you  
Spin all akimbo  
Like a windmill flailing.  
Whirl with a clatter till you  
Scatter every cotter and the  
Strings start a-pinging as the  
World goes sailing_

Again, the words he heard made no sense, but every single Hobbit knew the lyrics by heart. Including Bella, whose voice he could now barely pick out from the rest of them, and she must've been shouting them, because he couldn't see another way he could hear it over the din.

On an unrelated note, he was really wondering if Fili and Kili knew what they were doing.

 _Downsides go up - hey!  
Outsides go wide  
You can clatter  
With your platter  
But the Moon slept till Sterrenday._

 _Upsides go west - hey!  
Broadsides go boom.  
With a batter and a clatter  
You can shatter every platter  
But the Moon slept till Sterrenday._

Thus started the longest instrumental section of the song. There were so many instruments that he could hear now, all mixing and blending to create a fast, happy melody. Bella's fiddle skills were truly something to marvel at, and he would have, if he had a good view of her.

He let out a frustrated sigh and a muttered "To hell with it," before forging his own way through the crowd. He began weaving between and around leaping, spinning Hobbits.

He may have lost his nephew – he'd worry about that later – but he was now close enough to hear those closest to the center table whistling and cheering. He could see Bella's honey-colored hair flying as she spun, jumped, and danced.

"She's a Took, a'ight!" shouted one.

"Look at her go!" another exclaimed. There was a whoop – definitely Bella – followed by a loud cheer. There were several _loud_ whistles, followed by a 'Hup!' – also definitely Bella – and another cheer.

"Atta girl, lass!" someone shouted. Finally, he was close enough to get good glimpses, and he was duly impressed. Singing, dancing, and playing exceptional fiddle. She was full of never-ending surprises, wasn't she?

 _Fi-fo-fiddle-diddle  
Fi-fo-fiddle-diddle  
Hey-yey-yey-yey-oh-ho  
Hey-yey-yey-yey-oh-ho  
Hey-hey-din-gen-do  
Hey-hey-din-geli-do_

The nonsensical lyrics resounded through the Shire. The Hobbits' dance changed a bit now, as the major clump of people broke into two groups, and then into fours. The dancing was impressive, he had to admit.

And finally, he was close enough to see Bella dancing, and...

There were no words for it other than 'Wow.'

Which he was pretty sure he said.

She was wearing a dress with a forest green top and brass buttons, a white shirt beneath that, and a gray skirt with a black and white pattern on the hem. Her honey curls, now down to her mid back, were left loose, with only a daisy tucked into the hair behind her right ear.

She was graceful, keeping perfect time to the beat, her feet never missing position as they picked up and placed down. She was dancing the same dance the rest of the Hobbits were – with slight variation, as she was on a table, after all. They may have been larger than normal feet, but they were no less agile. In fact, he was sure no Dwarf could ever be as light on their feet as a Hobbit. Not from what he was seeing.

She was alternating between going forward and backward, hopping and kicking her legs forward and backward, and spinning. Her head would occasionally move side to side with the tune. The smile on her face lit the place up more than any torch ever could. _And_ she was somehow singing every single nonsensical lyric perfectly.

He was impressed.

 _Hoo-rye-and-hott-a-cott-a-ho  
Hoo-rye-and-hott-a-cott-a-ho ho  
Hott-a-cott-a-hotta-ko  
Hott-a-cott-a-ko-cott-a-ko-ho  
Fi-fo-fiddle-diddle-hi-ho  
Fi-fo-fiddle-diddle-hi-ho  
Ho fiddlee-ding-galli-do  
Ho fiddlee-ding-galli-do_

It was here that the lyrics started weaving, with one half of the crowd going for it, and the other waiting until halfway through to start their lyric. It was impressive, the level of coordination with the song, as if it'd been assigned who was to start when.

 _Hoo-rye-hoo-rye oops-oops - ay!  
Hoo-rye-hoo-rye oops-oops - ay!  
Hotta-cotta-hotta-cotta-mi-fo-fo  
Hotta-cotta-hotta-cotta-mi-fo-fo  
_

 _Hotta-cotta-hotta-cotta-hotta-cotta-hotta-cotta-hotta-cotta-hotta-cotta-mi-fi-fo_

Just before the last one, everyone in the crowd stopped, and then started, so every voice in the Shire (possibly including 12 Dwarves) sang the lyrics at the same time, and at the top of their lungs. Including Bella, who was either trying not to laugh or was just smiling so widely it looked like that.

 _Downsides go up - hey!  
Outsides go wide.  
With a twiddle on the fiddle  
In the middle by the griddle  
And the Moon slept till Sterrenday._

 _Upsides go west - hey!  
Broadsides go boom.  
With a batter and a clatter  
You can shatter every platter  
But the Moon slept till Sterrenday! Hey!_

The dance to the last chorus was definitely the most impressive, as every Hobbit danced the exact same move at the same time, clapping and stamping to the tune. Bella was enjoying herself so much, twirling and hopping, that she didn't realize how close to the edge of the table she was until she put her foot down and met thin air.

Thorin had seen it, though, and he was right there to catch her before she hit the ground, fiddle and all. The last note sounded, and the Hobbits all cheered and laughed, including Bella, who was having a lovely time.

Until she took a good look at who caught her.

The smile dropped and was replaced by confusion, trepidation, and hurt. That made Thorin a lot more nervous. Could this be fixed, or had he waited too long?

She slipped down to her feet, placed the fiddle and bow down, and was immediately surrounded by a small crowd. "That was great, Bell!" one of the women said.

"You were fantastic!" said another man.

"I knew ya still had it in ya!" said the oldest of the group.

"Thank you," Bella answered. "I did have a lovely time of it, even if it didn't look like it," she joked. The Hobbits all laughed. Thorin was waiting anxiously for her to acknowledge him again. When she looked at him, he kinda wished she'd waited another second or two.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I have someone I need to talk to," Bella said. They all looked at Thorin, as if appraising him. They nodded and let her through, watching her as she walked away. Another song started up – one that seemed somewhat familiar, but not as it should be – and she grabbed the wrist cuff of his shirt and dragged him away from the center.

He knew this was _not_ going to be easy.

 **A/N: Musical setting: The Cat and The Moon (LoTR Musical).**


	3. Apologizing and Confessing

Chapter 3: Apologizing and Confessing

Bella Baggins was beyond confused. What in the sweet name of the Valar was _he_ doing here? Fili, Kili, Balin, and Bofur she wouldn't have batted an eyelash at. Any of the others wouldn't have aroused suspicion. But him?

Why him?

Why now, when she'd _just_ started convincing herself she was getting over him?

Once they were over by one of the old oak trees, she whirled around, turning what she hoped was a good, semi-straight face on him. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. Even she was surprised at how much anger there was in her tone.

"I came to speak with you," he said in a somewhat neutral tone. "I have something I need to say." She knew it wouldn't be nice or right, what she was thinking of doing, but she'd lamented and cried over him for a good 6 months afterward, so by Yavanna, he was gonna pay for it.

"Really? Because I thought you made your sentiments very clear the last time we have a proper conversation," she snapped. Commands and warnings on a battlefield didn't count, and she was choosing to ignore the fact that he'd been awake for her desperate cry when she thought Azog was going to kill him. Again.

He looked taken aback, like he wasn't expecting that from her. Well, he'd lost the meek Hobbit-lass that rushed out her door 4 years ago, and the braver Hobbit that threw herself at his would-be executioner, _and_ the one who'd hinted at feelings toward him that were more than friendship that night at the Lake-Town party before it all went straight to hell.

"I wasn't-" he started, but she cut him off.

"You know, you have some nerve, coming here. What, you thought I'd be so completely happy just to see you that I'd forget everything that happened? That I'd just throw myself into your arms, asking you to ask me to forgive you? Well, ya got another thing coming, buster!" she shouted.

Oh, she was gonna kill Drogo for making her drink that extra cup of ale earlier.

Now he stood taller, angered. "I came to apologize for my actions at the Gate," he snapped right back. "To say that I wasn't in control of myself then, and that I'd come here tonight to ask you to forgive me, but if you'd like to fight instead," he started.

"Maybe I would! I have a _lot_ of things I'd like to say, starting with an 'I bloody told you so!'" she shot back.

"I told you so?" he echoed incredulously.

"Yes! I warned you that there was something not right about the place, about the treasure, about _you_ , but like you usually did, you thought you had it handled, and you didn't! And that's not the only time! It seems like for every decision that wasn't major, you sided against me. I said left, you chose right; I said stay, you chose to go. I'm half convinced that if I'd said the sky was blue, you'd have argued over that!" she said, waving her arms in an 'Oh, my God' expression.

"You weren't the most agreeable person, either!" he accused. "You'd ask me a question, I'd answer, and you'd argue over that! You think _I_ could argue about the color of the sky? You'd ask 100 people, just to get an answer different from mine!"

"Well, I wasn't allowed to start a good screaming match with the King Under the Mountain on his quest for his home while we were being chased by some horrid creature or another, now could I? You know, _you_ weren't very kind at the beginning!"

"And I did try to make up for that at the middle. The Dragon-sickness was not my fault!" he shouted.

"No, but your stubbornness made you too blind to see anything but getting that damned Arkenstone, so much so that when I told you I loved you, you didn't take half a notice!" she screamed. Now the silence registered. Not just his, but that of the whole Shire. She didn't care, though, because he needed to know. _She_ needed to say it.

"Do you know how I cried? Over you? In the Mountain, because you were slipping away, and no-one could do a thing about it. After the Gate, when you were so completely lost that even I couldn't see any hope for getting you back. I cried for months and months afterwards, at the most random of times, simply because I thought of you and how I felt and how little you cared about me," she told him.

She could see his face changing. Realization gave way to shame and sadness, and possibly even pain. She kept going, though. "I'd just convinced myself I was over you. I was going to have a good time tonight and not think about you, but of course you choose now to step back into my life, and..." she trailed off, tears slipping from her eyes. "And I just...can't do this anymore. Pine after you, wish it'd been different, question where I messed up that I'm here, in the state I am now."

"Bella," he started, but she cut him off once more.

"I can't," she said, in a voice that cracked and broke. "I can't, Thorin. I need to just...let it go. I need to let _you_ go, or I'll never make it."

"I'm sorry," he said helplessly. She turned away, biting her lip. "I'm so sorry." She just shook her head, the tears still flowing. "Tell me I haven't lost you. Please, tell me there's still something I can say, something I can do. I... I don't want to lose you," he pleaded. She shook her head again, unable to say anything.

The silence hung thick in the air.

Normally, Bella would've been mortified at the whole Shire knowing about this, but she was too confused by her own emotions to care. She turned away, walking back toward Bag End, just to try to escape him. To escape her past, and all the pain that went with it.

And then he whistled.

She knew the tune. It was a widely known love song, a way for men to propose to ladies without having to write a speech or anything. It was one her parents sang all the time. She stopped dead in her tracks, whirling around and looking into his eyes.

Often she had seen others communicate through looks, as if a whole conversation was going on between people telepathically. She had attributed it to close bonds or shared experiences. Fili and Kili's mental/visual conversations had been a source of awe for the first quarter of the adventure.

Now, she found herself understanding everything Thorin was trying to say, even if he wasn't verbally saying it.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne'er a fear of drowning _(I fear not death's hold, only that it would keep me from speaking my heart to you)_ , and gladly ride the waves of life _(I would face every difficulty, every obstacle)_ , if you would marry me." That last bit was just straightforward. Nothing hidden or implied or said in addition there.

Her breath hitched. His voice...oh, she still dreamed about that voice. And now he was singing to her. Now he was asking her to listen, and she was trying to fight to keep from doing so, because what could he have to say now? After what she said to him? Still, she didn't look away.

"No scorching sun, nor freezing cold _(I've come all this way, and I'd go father still; nothing could ever stop me from trying to get to you)_ , will stop me on my journey _(I'd cross a thousand wastelands to ask you this)_." She could hear something in there, something that sounded broken. "If you will promise me your heart _(Forgive me. Please.)_ "

She turned away then, unable to hold his intense gaze and everything in it. "And love-" his voice broke, cutting off with a small, heartbroken sigh. She could practically see his eyes closing, his head dropping, maybe even a tear escaping. His hopelessness was tangible and it tore at her heart, urging her to turn around, yet at the same time, showing defeat.

It broke her resolve. He came halfway across the world to beg for her back, and was openly declaring his love in front of the whole Shire and the Company, regardless of the risk of being turned down. All for her. All because of her.

She made her choice. She'd made it at Beorn's, and she made it again. Her voice rang clear through the silent Shire.

"And love me for eternity. _(I forgive you.)_ " He looked up with a small gasp. A few murmurs rippled through the crowd. She turned around to look at him, and he looked so terribly hopeful. Like he wanted to believe. She took a deep breath, the unshed tears sounding through it, as she gathered her resolve.

"My dearest one, my darling dear _(How I have longed to say this)_ , your mighty words astound me _(You've taken my breath away and stolen my heart)_. But I've no need of mighty deeds when I feel your arms around me _(Just hold me forever; all I want is to be near you for the rest of my life)_."

She walked toward him, coming closer with every step. He lit up as she approached, seeing hope and love on her face as well.

He ran to her, spinning her, though her feet never left the ground. She laughed, such a clear, bright sound that even she was surprised by it. "But I would bring you rings of gold _(Everything I have, anything you want, it's yours)_ , I'd even sing you poetry _(I will earn this. I will earn your love, I swear it)_ , and I would keep you from all harm _(Till my dying day)_ if you would stay beside me!"

They began to dance around the space in the crowd, which had backed away to give them all the space they needed as they twirled and danced, her in his arms. "I have no use for rings of gold _(You're all I want and need)_ ; I care not for your poetry _(You've earned it already)_. I only want your hand to hold _(Everything I am is yours; you have every part of my heart)_."

"I only want you near me _(Truly, that is all I want or need)_."

Now it was both of them singing, two voices in harmony, two hearts in sync, meaning every word they sang like a wedding vow. "To love and kiss and sweetly hold, for the dancing and the dreaming, through all life's sorrows and delights, I'll keep your love inside me. I'll swim and sail on savage seas with ne'er a fear of drowning, and gladly ride the waves of life if you would marry me!"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, giving her answer. He picked her up and spun her around, and when he placed her on the ground again, she wasted no time in sealing the deal with a kiss.

 **A/N: Okay, you guys. WOW. Since I posted this story last Friday, it's gotten 383 views. Just…wow! Now, idk if that's cause y'all actually bothered to wait for me (in which case, I am both floored and touched) or if this happens to be a popular ship, but I'm really happy. And, as promised, this is the last chapter. Lemme know what you guys think!**

 **Musical setting: For The Dancing & The Dreaming (Stoick and Valka's song from HTTYD 2).**


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